Indicating mechanism.



No. 824; 85 2. PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

R. D. PASSETT.

INDICATING MECHANISM, AYPPLIOATION FILED mom. 1904.

i: BREIWHT WH WITNESSES.

ATTORNEYS.

TH! NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTDN, n. :4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RILEY D. FASSETT, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO WILLIAM H.N EFF, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 3, 1906.

Application filed December 31, 1904. Serial No. 239.153-

To ztZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RILEY D. FASSETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicating Mechanism;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in indicating mechanism, andespecially such as is adapted for use in street-cars, railwaycars,vehicles of any kind, or in any place where a succession of indicationsare required for any purpose.

7 The invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations,and arran ements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully escribed andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of anindicator mechanism mechanism. Fig. 5 is a similar view looking at theother end of the mechanism, the actuating-shaft for operating the devicebeing shown in section. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing themounting of the actuating knob or wheel for the device.

While the indicating mechanism which forms the subject of the presentinvention is well adapted for use wherever the presentation of a numberof indications is needed, it is especially well adapted for use uponstreetcars, railway-cars, or other vehicles which travel from place toplace making stated stops. The illustrations in the accompanyingdrawings show the mechanism adapted for use as a street or railway carindicator formed with an inclosing casing 1, which is provided with aremovable end or door 2 for gaining access to the interior thereof. Theindicating mechanism may be secured in the casing in any desired manner;but I prefer to have the same removably mounted in the casing, the saidmechanism being carried by a back plate or slide 3. The said back orslide engages guideways or grooved cleats 4, which are arranged insidethe casing 1. The guides 4 are arranged longitudinally of the case, sothat the plate 3, carrying mechanism of the indicator, may be withdrawnfrom the casing longitudinally after removing the end or door 2. Thefront of the casing 1 is provided with an elongated opening of anydesired shape, as 5, which is usually covered with a transparent plateor glass 6. The glass 6 may be also removable longitudinally of thecasing, it being preferably mounted in 'uides or cleats 7, secured tothe inner surface of the casing-front. The plate or glass 6 may bewithdrawn or replaced through the open end of the casing by sliding itlongitudinally in the cleats 7.

The plate 3 is provided with end standards 8, which project laterallytherefrom at right angles thereto. Each standard 8 is formed withprojecting arms which form supports for the indicator-operatingmechanism. The central arm or projection 9 of each standard projects toa greater distance from the plate 3 than the end standards or arms 10 oneach side thereof. J ournaled in the arms 10 of the standard 8 areshafts 11 and 12, which carry spools 13 and 14. The spools are fixed tothe shafts so as to turn therewith and are designed for receiving in arolled form acontinuous web, cloth, or other flexible strip 15, which isprovided with names of the stops Which are to be made by the vehicle,the said names being so spaced that they may be brought separately infront of the opening 5 in the front of the casing. In order to be ableto quickly and easily secure the web or strip 15 upon the spools 13 and14, the said spools are split longitudinally with a slot which isWedge-shaped or tapering in crosssection, as clearly indicated at 16 inFig. 2. By passing the end of the web through one of the slots and thenplacing a rod or wire 17 in a loop formed by folding the end thereof anddrawing the wire into the wedge-shaped slot the web can be made fast andwill be tightly held in place. The web can be easily de tached fromeither of the rolls by removing the wire or rod 17. In this simplemanner the ends of the web are secured to the spools 13 and 14 in such amanner that the said web can be wound upon said spools as shown in Fi 2.

In order to properly present the marked web or strip 15 to the opening 5in the front of the casing, I employ a manysided roller or revolving bar18, arranged just to the rear of the said opening and mounted upon alongitudinal shaft 19, which is journaled in the ends of the centralarms 9. The said roller or platen 18 is preferably made square incross-section and is provided at its corner edges and near each endthereof with projecting points or pins 20. These pins or points 20engage apertures 21, formed in the web or strip 15, so'that by turningthe platen 18 the web may be moved. in either direction. The apertures21 are preferably arranged along the edges of the web or strip 15, sothat they will not appear at the opening 5 of the casing.

The spools are provided with a spring or tension mechanism, so that thestrip or web 15 will always be maintained in a taut condition about theplaten 18. The tension mechanism is made up of springs 22 and 23,

which are coiled and secured at their inner I ends to the shafts 11 and12, respectively. The outer ends of the coils are secured to gearwheels24 and 25, which are loosely mounted upon the shaft 1]. and 12.Interposed between the gears 24 and 25 is an idler-gear 26, which iscarried by a shaft or trunnion 27, which projects from one of the arms9. The idler 26 equalizes the movement of one gear with respect to theother, and the springs, which are wound. in opposite directions, asshown in Fig. 4, tend to yield sufficiently to permit the web or strip15 to accommodate itself to the different positions assumed by theplaten 18.

A sounding device may also be used in con nection with the indicatingmechanism, and I have illustrated such a sounding device in thedrawings, and particularly in Figs. 3 and 5. The sounding device is madeup of a bell 28, which may be located outside the casing, as shown inFig. 3, and a clapper 29 is located in proper relation thereto, theclapper being carried by a spring-arm 30, which extends within thecasing and is secured to one of the standards 8. A spring plate or bar31 is also secured to said standard 8 and at its free end extends over atripping device 32. The tripping device is preferably made in the formof a spider having arms 33, projecting therefrom to points opposite thecorners of the platen 18. The ends of these arms are provided withantifriction-rollers 34, which bear upon the under side of the spring31.

The spring 31 is connected with the springarm 30, which carries theclapper 29 by means of a link 35. As the tripper is turned with theplaten 1.8 in altering the indicator, the spring 31 will tend to forcethe arm 33 which is passing it at that time quickly to its new positionafter it passes the center, and the said spring will thus draw theclapper 29 down quickly against the bell. The bell will thus be rung atevery change of the indicating mechanism. den movement of the partsunder the action of the spring 31, the shaft of the platen is providedwith an actuating handle or knob 36, which permits the shaft whichcarries it, the said shaft being the platen-shaft, to move quickly underthe impetus of the spring 31 and without retarding it. The

knob 36, as shown in Fig. 6, is loosely mounted upon the end of theshaft 19, being held between the washers 37 and 38. The washer 37 isrigidly secured to the shaft 19 and is provided with a projection or arm39, which extends into the path of a pin or lug 40, carried by the saidknob 36.

In operating the device the handle or knob 36 is grasped and turneduntil the pin or proj ection engages the arm 39. A continued rotation ofthe knob 36 will then operate to turn the shaft 19, so as to force oneof the tripper-arms 33 under the spring 31. As soon as the tripper-armis raised to its highest position near the outer end of said spring theshaft 19 is free to be thrown quickly forward under the return action ofsaid spring 31, the arm 39 leaving the detent or pin 40 of the knob asthe platen jumps to its new place.

The indicator is located at a convenient point in the car or vehicle, sothat it can be seen by all the passengers. The names of the stops to bemade are then brought opposite the opening 5 as the vehicle progresses,so as to show through the transparent plate or glass 6. The casing ispreferably marked above the opening with such words as Next stop, asillustrated in Fig. 1. The bell or sounding device rings at everyoperation of the indicator, calling the attention of the passengers tothe place where the next stop is to be made.

If the indications or arrangements of the names upon the web or stripare to be changed or altered in any manner, the apparatus can be readilytaken from the casing by removing the door or end 2 and withdrawing themechamsm.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An indicating mechanism, comprising a frame having end plates formedwith rollercarrying standards and longer standards for carrying aplaten, rollers mounted upon the said roller-carrying standards, aschedulestrip extending from one roller to the other and aschedule-engaging platen ournaled in the longer standards, and carryingthe schedrile-strip out of the plane which is tangential to the rollers,for properly presenting the schedule to view.

2. An indicating device, comprising a In order to permit the sud IISschedule-strip, rolls for carrying the same, a platen for moving theschedule-strip provided with a shaft, a handle or knob mounted upon thesaid shaft and provided with a projection, and an arm or projectioncarried by the shaft for engaging the projection of the knob, theconstruction permitting of the movement of the platen ahead of themovement of the handle or knob for a short distance.

3. An indicating mechanism, comprising a plate, end standards formedinte ral upon said plate and proj ecting laterally t erefrom, projectingarms formed upon each of said end standards, one of said arms on eachstandard of greater length than the others, indicatin means carried bysome of said arms, an means for moving said indicating means.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with asupport, of a plate carried by said support, said plate provided withend standards, each standard provided witharms of diflerent lengths, thearms upon each of the end standards extending parallel, a schedule-stripcarried by some of said arms, and means for moving said schedulestrip.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a plate,said plate provided with a central and end arms secured on oppositeportions thereof, said central arms of greater length than the end arms,indicating means carried by said end arms, a platen carried by saidcentral arms and engaging said indicating means, and manually-actuatedmeans coacting with said platen and being capable of causing movement ofsaid indicating means.

6. A mechanism of the class described, comprising a back member,parallel end arms formed upon said member, parallel central armsprojecting from said member and of greater length than said end arms, aplaten carried by said central arms, traveling, indicating means suported upon said end arms and engaging sai platen, and driving meanscoacting with said platen and capable of causing movement of saidindicating means.

7. A mechanism of the class described, com rising a plate, parallel endarms extending f iom said plate, parallel, central arms extending fromsaid plate of a different length than said end arms, a platen supportedby some of said arms, indicating means carried by the other arms, and asounding device coacting with s'aid platen.

8. A mechanism of the class described, comprising a vertical plate ormember, parallel, horizontal arms extending from said plate, said armsof difierent lengths, revoluble members and gears carried by some ofsaid arms, flexible means connecting said gears and revoluble members, aplaten carried by some of said arms, indicating means engaging saidplaten and secured to said revoluble members, and manually-operatedmeans coactin with said gears, revoluble members, an platen for causingmovement of said indicating means.

9. A mechanism of the class described, comprising a vertical plate ormember, hori zontal arms formed upon each end of said plate, the armsupon each end extending parallel, a central arm upon each end of lengththan the other arms, rolls carried by some of said arms, aschedule-strip secured to said rolls, a platen carried by said centralarms and engaging the strip for moving it, a sounding device providedwith a clapper, and means coacting with said platen for actuating saidclapper.

10. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a basemember, arms exgreater tending from each end of said member, a centralarm at each end of greater length than the other arms, movableindicating means carried by some of said arms, and means carried by thecentral arms for imparting movement to said indicating means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

RILEY D. FASSETT.

Witnesses:

C. E. SMEDLEY, OARLE WHITEHEAD.

